Diving-suit



R. DE GRAFF.

DIVING SUIT. APPLICATION FiLED IAN-1'2. 1918..

aten Feb. 15 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEEI l- I "rates,

Rom DE sneer, on NEW YonK; N. Y, ASSIGNOR T0 ATALANTA ENGINEERING COR'E'O- BATION, a CGRPQBATION or :onnawnan.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

DIVING-$UIT.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

' Application filed January 12, 1918. Serial No. 211,482.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDI on GRAPE, a citizen of the Republic of Russia, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diving-Suits, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to diving suits designed for service at great depths, one hundred feet or more, and the object of the invention is to provide a metallic suit or armor capable of withstandin successfully the great pressure due to deep submersion, and also permit free movements of the body and limbs of the diver. 7

Another object is to provide means for supplying air at atmospheric pressure to the interior of the suit, and for removing the vitiated air therefrom through non-collapsible separate conduits.

Another important object is to provide means for insuring the flexible joints of the suit independently against the entrance of water while permitting such joints to move freely.

A further object is to provide a form of universal joint for certain articulations of the suit, to permit movement in all directions while held water-tight by the pressure of the water. 7

A further object is to provide a form of joint having folding leaves for certain other articulations, constructed to allow free movements of the limbs without cramping.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings form apart of this specification and show an approved form'of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved suit.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view, from above.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the lower body portion of the suit and the upper leg portion at the kneejoint, on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a similar section showing details of the knee-joint ona still larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the lower body portion and a movable plate carrying the upper leg portion.

Fig. 6 is a section through one side of one of the movable members of the kneeoint. I F 1g. 7 is a corresponding elevation of the lnner face of such member.

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 6, through the other side member.

l1 1g. 9 is vertical section through the lower portion of one leg and the rear port1on of its attached foot, transversely of the latter and partly in elevation.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the lower portion of one leg, showing the foot in plan.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section through the lower leg portion and foot, taken longitudinally of such foot.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section through the knee-joint shown in Fig. 3.

.lj ig. 13 is a section through the spherical unlversal joint shown as employed for the shoulder and Wrist joints.

Similar reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The helmet is of cast metal of a thickness suilicient to resist the pressures to which it may be subjected. its upper portion is domed as at 1 to receive the head of the diver, and at the front is provided with a large flanged opening receiving a lens 3 held to the flange by a screw threaded ring or follower 4. On both sides of this central window 3 are smaller ports having lenses 5 and 6 and holding rings 7 and 8. Either window may be opened by unscrewing its ring and removing its lens.

At the top of the helmet is a boss 9 into which the pipe 10 is screwed. connected to a non-collapsible hose, not shown, extending above the surface of the water, and also contains the insulated telephone and electric light wires 11 leading from the wrecking vessel on the surface to suitable connections, not shown, controlled by the diver.

The lower portion of the helmet is flanged outwardly and matches to a corresponding seat on the upper-body or chest portion and to relievably hold the latter.

formed'permits the upper-arm member 64 tions 14 and 15,- each the counterpart of the other and having vertical flanges 16 matching to each other and secured together at the front and rear by bolts and wing-nuts. On the lower ends of the chest pieces 14 and 15 are radial semi-circular flanges formin the shoulder, as shown in Fig. 13. The

ring is fitted to the head and extends sufficiently beyond the center line of the head The joint thus to be moved in any direction to the required extent.

The lower end of each upper arm 64 is of U-shape in cross-section and carries lugs 65 in which is a transverse pin serving as a pivot for the lower or forearm 66 also of U- section. The part 64 has an internal flange surrounding the opening and the part 66 has an external flange, the former is providedwith a packing strip adapted to contact with the adjacent surface of the other part and make a tight joint, in manner similar to that found in the kIlGtBrjOlllt, see Fig. 4, and the fiangeof the part 66 is provided with a groove or channel containing a series of anti-friction balls adapted to facilitate the relative movements of these upper and lower arm portions at the elbow.

The lower end of each lower or forearm portion has a spherical socket 67 receiving ahollow ball 68, forming the wrist--joint and similar in structure to the shouider joint above described. The ball or head 68is part of the hollow hand 69 which latter has movable finger portions 71 formed of flexible interlocking steel or armored tubing of any suitable type, allowing the closing movement of the fingers required in grasping the handle of a tool or the like.

The lower body portion consists of a sub stantially cylindrical drum 19 horizontally disposed with its axis lying transversely; its

upper face carries the vertical extension 17 aving a radial flange to which are secured 6b the flanges of the upper-body pieces 14 and 15, by bolts 18, as above described.

The ends of the drum are closed by plates 21 reinforced on their inner faces by angleiron braces 22, 23 and 24, see Fig. 3, to resist external pressure or crushing strains. Thelower part of the drum 19 is provided with two circumferential openings or wide slots 27 and 28 having at their sides correspondingly curved guides 29 and 30 held by clamps 31 and 32 and forming curved grooves or channels'in which'the side margins of a curved plate 33 are received, as in Fig. 5. The curves of the guide-grooves and plates are concentric to the axis of the drum, and the guides; extend beyond the ends of the slots 27, 28 so that the plates 33 may move relatively to the drum to the required extent without uncovering the slots.

The guides are provided with strips of packing on their inner faces to prevent leakage inwardly to the drum, and the plates are provided with grooves which may contain packing or a series of anti-friction balls, not shown, to facilitate the sliding movement, and grooves on their outer edges adapted to contain strips of packing. These parts are'also shown as having. transversely extending packing strips in the drum at .36 and 37, and balls 34 and 35 in transverse grooves in the plates 33. The latter permit the forward and backward swing of the thighs or upper portions of the legs of the diver, and each is provided with an aperture inwhich the hollow upper leg' member 38 is rigidly secured. I

The lower end of the member'38 .is U- shaped in horizontal section and at the rear, behind the knee, are lugs 40 inclosing'a transverse pin 41 to which is hinged the lower leg member 50 and a series of .U- shaped segments or leaves 42, 45, 48 and 49, forming the knee joint. The first or upper segment 42 may be a stationary portion of the u 'er le 38. It has its upper and lower PP e edges inturned or providedwith the lips 43 and 44, the former serving as a stop to limit the upward movement of the next segment 45 which has an external lip46 adapted to strike the lower lip 44 on the fixed segment 42. The succeedingsegments areprovided with similar lips and the lower legmember 50 has an external lip so that'all may fold telescopically one within the other as having aweightedsole' 61. The opening in the lower end of the member 50 is U-shaped and the mouth of theflshoe' is shaped to match therein, and both arecurved vertically at theback on a radius of. which the pin 54 is the center, as at 55 and 58 in Figs. 10 and 11. i

An outward lip 59 on the top of the shoe carries a series of anti friction balls 60 rolling in contactwith the curved inner face of the lower leg member at 55 and the leg member has an interior lip 56 carrying packing 57 in contact with the curved outer face of the shoe-top as at 58.

Secured at the ends of the drum 19 are circumferential bands 72 and 7 3 having loops or eyes 74, 75, adapted to receive a sling, not shown, or other cable connection by whichthe diver with the suit maybe raised or lowered. At the back of the drum is a connection 25 to which the air-supply pipe or hose, not shown, is coupled and fresh air delivered to the interior of the suit preferably at atmospheric pressure; the vitiated air escapes through the pipe 10 at the top of the helmet, and its connected pipe, at a point above the surface of the water. 7

When the suit is to be used, the helmet is removed by loosening the wing-nuts 13 and folding down the bolts 12. The bolts holding the chest piece 14 to its companion chest-piece 15 are loosened and removed and one of these pieces separated from the extension 17 and is removed together with its arm. The removal of the helmet and the one chest piece 14. or 15 allows the diver to enter, the chest piece is then replaced, joined to its mate, and to the extension 17 and the helmet replaced and secured. Air is forced through the connection 25 into the drum, and drawn out or permitted to escape through the pipe 10. By means of suitable cables or hawsers secured to the eyes 74 and 75, the diver and suit are lowered.

The articulations of the suit permit the diver to work with practically the same freedom as in the usual diving suit used for relatively shallow depths. The universal ball-and-socket joints of the shoulders permit movements of the arms in all directions; the pins 65 allow the elbow movements, and the ball joints 69 at the wrists give the hands freedom of motion in every direction. The fingers can be closed sufliciently to allow the diver to grasp a rope or other object, or to hold a tool reliably.

The construction of the leg members and their relation to the lower body portion allow the diver to walk and move about without difiiculty. It will be noted that the drum 19 is of such diameter as to extend well down upon the legs of the diver and that the knee joints of the leg members are close to the lower side of the drum. By this arrangement the plates 33 engage the legs of the diver just above his knees so that when the leg of the diver is swung forward to slide the plate 33 the resistance of the latter is readily overcome by reason of the effective thrust he can exert at this low point on his upper leg. This movement in walking may or may not be accompanied by a fiexure of the knee joint on the pin 41, but

in raising the foot and leg such flexure is necessary and is provided for by the segments 42, 1-5, 4L8 and 49.

The movement of the foot at the ankle is permitted by the pivot pin 54:. The frictional engagement of the parts in all the movable joints is sufiicient to prevent any movement other-than that induced by the diver, so that any position assumed will be retained by' friction until intentionally changed by the diver.

It will be noted that anti-friction balls are introduced between all relatively moving parts or surfaces and that in all such situations the anti-friction joint is protected by a packing interposed between such ball-bearing and the exterior of the suit exposed to the water-pressure.

The joints thus constructed are practically water tight but as an additional safeguard against the entrance of water a sleeve or covering of flexible soft vulcanized rubber may be applied to inclose such joints. It will be observed that the exterior surfaces of all the joints are sufficiently smooth to permit the use of such sleeves without danger of becoming caught between the parts of the joint and thereby jamming the joint or cutting the sleeve. The application of the sleeve is indicated by dotted lines at a in Fig. 1.

A feature of especial importance in all the flexible joints is the avoidance of pivots or shafts extending across the openings or so located as to reduce the effective areas of the openings when the joints are flexed; all the joints in the improved suit offer unobstructed passages therethrough for the limbs of the diver and permit the joints to be flexed at will without cramping the limbs or requiring unusual movements thereof. This will be noted in the ball-and socket joints at the shoulders and wrists of the suit, in the circular sliding junction of the upper leg portion with the lower body portion, and in the knee, elbow and foot joints in which the pivot or center of motion is located outside the joint at a point farthest removed from the contacting surfaces of the leaves comprising the joint.

Ball-and-socket joints similar to that shown in Fig. 13 may be employed to provide the articulations for the elbow, knee and foot.

I claim j 1. In a metallic diving suit, a body member provided with a slot and a guide adjacent thereto and within said body member, an arc-shaped plate operable in said guide and engageable with the leg of the wearer at a point just above his knee, said plate having an aperture, and a leg member extended through said aperture.

2. In a metallic diving suit, a body mem her provided with a slot, and a guide adj a cent thereto and within said body member, anarc-shaped plate operable in said guide, said plate having an opening, and a leg member extended through said opening and engageable with the leg of the wearer at a point just above his knee, said leg member having lugs for the reception of a pivot for the leaves of a telescoping joint. 7

3. In a metallic diving suit, a body member provided with a slot, and a guide adjacent thereto and within said body portion, an arc-shaped plate operablein said guide, said plate having an opening and engageable with the leg of the wearer at a point just above his knee, and a leg member extended through said opening, combined with a plurality of leaves mounted on a pivot at the angle of said members, one of said leaves extended through said slot.

4. Ina metallic diving suit, a body member provided with a slot, and a guide adjacent thereto and within said body member,

anarc-shaped plate operable in said guide, said plate having an opening and engage able with the leg of the wearer just above his 'knee, and a leg member extended through said opening, said leg member having lugs for the reception of a pivot for the leaves of a telescoping joint, said pivot being arranged in close proximity to said body member. i

5. In a metallic diving suit, a chest portion comprising side sections each a counterpart ofthe other andhaving radial semicircular fianges at their lower ends, a lower body portion having" an upward extension secured to said vflanges, said lower body portion comprising a cylindrical drum horizontally disposed with its axis lying transversely and having circumferential openings, a hollow upper leg portion U-shaped in horizontal section, a pin inclosed within the same at the rear, and a lower leg member mounted on said pin, and intermediate series of U-shapedsegments mounted on said pin and telescopically movable withineach other "and the saidupper legportion.

Signed at New York city, in the city, county and State of New York this 28th day of Dec. 1917. V a

RUDI DfiGRAFF. 

